United States Navy Chaplain Corps - Yearbook

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Mural Dedication. Maj. Gen. Edwin A. Pollock, Commanding General, lst Marine Division, and Private Sedney S. Levy, the artist, stand by a mural dedicated in the Division Chapel on the 1 177th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine 1 Corps. The mural depicts the work of the chaplains among marines. ,. lif if. keports received from other sources, reveal that the chaplains are giving an outstanding performance of duty in their min- istry with the personnel they serve. 1 And in one of his letters to Chaplain Salisbury, Slattery wrote: In reviewing some of my letters, I noted that I have not made mention of Chaplains Muller and Strumski. Both are working in rear area billets which are both demanding. They are two unsung heroes, in the sense that their work is not of the headline variety. Both chaplains were not only working faithfully with their own Marine charges, but were busy in helping the civilian populace, in leper colonies, orphanages, schools, and local churches. Chaplain Muller was attached to the first shore party, located in an area known as Ascom City. There he had the use of a handsome chapel built in 1945 by American troops on occupation duty in Korea fol- lowing World War II. An all Korean choir trained by M. Sgt. P. C. Payne and Pfc. Fred Bussa underthe chaplain's guidance sang at numerous service func- ltions and broadcast weekly in the Seoul-Inchon area from the Segaly Methodist Church in Bupyong. Muller wrote of preaching in a former Buddhist temple which, with its attendant buildings, had been previously turned into an orphanage caring for 350 children, its main shrine now a place of Christian wor- ship. Wrote the chaplain: We have preached the unsearchable riches of Christ in mess halls, a maintenance shop, movie theaters, the open air, in classrooms, and in our lovely chapel, and in Korean schools, orphanages, and churches. We average seventeen services a week. Included among his converts to Christi' were Amer- ican servicemen, ROK soldiers and wounded veterans, and personnel from the Korean Service Corps--the civilian laborers attached to military units g and the chaplain added, probably remembering by contrast most civilian parishes at home, The majority of them are men! The Chaplain Section had an appropriate gift for the 177th Marine Corps Birthday celebrated, as it is annually, on 10 November. Two large murals for the Division CP chapel, painted by Pfc. Sid Levy, were dedicated in a service led by the Headquarters Bat- talion chaplains, with Maj. Gen. Edward A. Pollock, new Division commander, giving the address. The general commended the artist for having caught the religious spirit of the lighting Marines who dedicate themselves daily to a cause of justice and honor. He continued: As we observe Marines worshiping in the field, we forcibly realize that in their hearts there is a fervent, undying faith which blood and death and the clamor of battle cannot sup- press .... The hundreds of thousands who have attended various services since the Brigade first came to the shores of Korea will be as lasting a contribution to the redemption of this country as the blood shed and the lives given. A handsome bulletin carried photographic repro- ductions of the murals under the legend f'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. Each mural was composed of montage arrangements of small scenes of chaplains engaging in their combat ministry, dominated in the upper section by helmeted faces, in one mural two representing the Army and the Air Force, in the other, two representing the Navy and the Marine Corps. Included in the responsive read- ing were two intensely compelling verses: Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell to- gether in unityi' and Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it, except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. From January to November inclusively the chap- lains conducted 3,662 Sunday services with 193,787 attending and 5,513 daily services with 101,180 at- tending. Special services CBible classes, etc.l totaled 3,852, with 100,630 in attendance. They had held 151 -

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pine mahogany, its opened doors revealed superim- posed upon them hand-carved candelabra, gilded to symbolize the Golden Candlestick of the Jerusalem Temple and fitted with flame-shaped bulbs. Veiling the parchment scroll of the Torah there hung a hand- some curtain embroidered with a crown and a Star of David. The two Tables of the Law affixed at the top were surmounted in turn by a burning light symboliz- ing the Eternal Light which is the Word of the Lord. Used in Jewish services in various chapels, the Ark was so compact that the chaplain was able to carry it in its specially made canvas case to front line units as well. As summer turned into fall Sobel made plans for observing the High Holy Days, beginning with Rosh Hashanah QNew Yearj and ending with Yom Kippur fDay of Atonementj. An accompanying photograph shows the chaplain with the shofar Cram's hornj raised to his lips, sounding the age-old call that brings Israel to the sanctuary of her God. Services were held not only in the Division chapel, but also in smaller units. CWrote Slattery, Sobel went on Fri- day to conduct services at the Shore Party Battalion, where Chaplain Muller had gathered about 30 Jew- ish personnel. j On occasion, as conditions allowed the Jewish chaplain would Hy to the lst Marine Air- craft Wing to hold services there. This history cannot and indeed need not detail the activities of each individual chaplain 3 from the ma- terial available accounts have been selected which were either unusual or else typical enough to illustrate the work of all the chaplains. We should like to echo a word included in FMF Pac Chaplain M. H. Twitch- ell's quarterly report of 2 May 1952. 3 The pointing out of certain outstanding work on the part of particular chaplains named in this report is not intended to reHect in any way on the quality of performance by the other chaplains. The . . . monthly statistical reports, and Jewish Services. Chaplain Samuel Sobel conducts Jewish services for lst Division Marines. -150- h

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56,857 counseling interviews, made 4,475 visits to the sick and wounded, and written 8,522 letters. Chinese Upsurge During October and November action at the front was stepped up, more frequent clashes were marked by extremely bitter fighting. On 9 October Chaplain Slattery wrote, As you have gathered from the news reports, we have had an extremely busy few days. Chaplains Jones and Barlik, at the medical companies, went sleepless a few nights due to patient load. And on 27 October: Once again we had a busy night on the front. The Chinese Communists seem to be celebrating their second anniversary of entrance into the Korean War by pushing hard against outposts of ours. The next day he reported on the action in a long letter to Chaplain Salisbury. The Marines have won another great battle. The papers are probably calling it the 'iBattle of the Hook. As usual your chaplains performed well, which is expected of them now. Chaplain Prickett spent the Hrst night of the battle at a forward aid station. I went up to see him yesterday and he was pretty tired .... Chaplain Guillaume had spent the night at the battalion aid station, and Chaplain Pat Adams came up for last night. When Guillaume went to the forward aid station, Prickett and Adams took care of the evacuees at Battalion. I went to see Prickett again this morning. He was much refreshed and spent the day visiting his unit casualties who had not been already evacu- ated to the hospital ship. As usual the medical companies are rushed. Moore teamed up with Jones and Lane and they did a wonderful job at Charlie Med. Barlik and Herrick teamed up at Easy Med. Incidentally Barlik received some garbled publicity, a United Press report which states the chaplain has a medical degree. It was one of those wrong slants that eager jour- nalists get. Barlik has given unselfishly of his strength and the medicos really have words of high praise for his assistance in the OR loperating roomj. I have seen him work there and he does have pretty good technique. I want to assure you, however, that he is not practising medicine and surgery. Barlik was consequently awarded the Letter of Commendation, which cited among his other minis- tries his help to the surgeons: Performing in the ca- pacity of an assistant at surgical operations, he con- tributed materially to the success of more than 75 surgical cases. The award was for the period 30 March-3 November 1952. Savage as it was on occasion, the fighting continued to be sporadic. In the intervals and in those units not directly engaged, life went on much as usual. On 18 October Slattery wrote that lst Aircraft Wing Chaplain Parker had fiown up to see how we were caring for two of his 'chopper' units. We gave him the S64 tour of the front lines, which he enjoyed tremendously. On 26 October Chaplains Weber, P. Adams, and Sobel held a Memorial Service for Marine and Navy personnel of the lst Marines and attached units lost in combat from 26 -July to 12 October 1952. The cover of the service folder displayed a bronze plaque affixed to a stone building, with the shadow of a Marine in combat dress falling across the inscribed words: THAT THE BEAUTY or His COUNTENANCE B1-3 NOT HIDDEN FROM Hrs owN THAT HIS WOUNDS AND WOE WHEREIN HE WROTE HIS LOVE BE KNOWN TO ALL THE PEOPLE HE REDEEMED Chaplain T. A. Newman, Jr., a former Navy hos- pital corpsman and according to Slattery a man of naturally sympathetic disposition was able to render exceptional service in motivating Marines who had developed nerves,' to return to the lines. On 10 November his battalion commander authorized him to go to one of the forward outposts, carrying a Marine Corps birthday cake. Chaplain Newman said some prayers for the lads on the outpost, then all hands sang the Marine Corps Hymn and they all sat in a cave to feast. Slattery added: Incidentally, I have a standing agreement with all bat- talion commanders that chaplains will not go forward of the MLR fmain line of resistancej to OP's foutpostsj without specific authorization. Real estate forward of the MLR is under hot dispute too often for the Padres to tour without a special visa. Concerning this point Chaplain Mannion wrote in reply: I certainly agree with fyour policyj .... The unnecessary exposure to danger may be commendable to a limited de- gree, but certainly our chaplains should not be foolhardy, exposing themselves to unnecessary danger and running the risk of cutting off their services to God and country. As November drew to a close, after appropriate Thanksgiving services everywhere throughout the Di- vision, the men's thoughts began turning toward Christmas and home. Ten boxes of gaily wrapped Christmas gifts arrived in the Division chaplainls oflice from the employees of the Kiplinger Organization in Washington, D.C. Writing to them on 3 December -152-